Stretch targeted for widening in 2015

U.S. 31

PETOSKEY -- Road widening and repaving will be part of a 2015 project that the Michigan Department of Transportation plans along a 4 1/2-mile stretch of U.S. 31 in the Petoskey and Bay Harbor areas.

MDOT recently announced an upcoming public meeting to present project plans to the public. It's set for 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Harbor Room at the Bay Harbor Village Hotel and Conference Center, 4000 Main St. in Bay Harbor.

People needing special accommodations to attend the meeting should call (888) 304-6368

The 2015 work will extend along U.S. 31 from Spring Street (U.S. 131) in Petoskey west to Camp Daggett Road. Jay Gailitis, manager of MDOT's Gaylord Transportation Center, said the project and its preparations are expected to cost about $11 million.

Work is to include some resurfacing and reconstruction of the roadway and widening for a center left-turn lane.

"By and large it's going to take wherever there is two lanes to three," said Gailitis, noting that traffic safety is a key consideration for making that change.

The stretch of U.S. 31 (Charlevoix Avenue) between Spring Street and Eppler Road in Petoskey currently has two lanes in each direction for through traffic. Gailitis said MDOT also is considering the possibility of reconfiguring that stretch -- perhaps taking out a through lane in one direction and adding a center lane for left turns -- as part of the 2015 work.

Along with changes to the road surface, project plans also include drainage improvements, city utility work and driveway changes. Updates to traffic signals at the Spring Street/Charlevoix Avenue intersection and another a short distance to the south at Spring and Sheridan Street are planned as well.

MDOT plans for a detour of eastbound U.S. 31 traffic along Eppler and Sheridan roads during the 2015 project. Those two routes will then be resurfaced to address additional wear from the detoured traffic.